Historical U.S. Force Structure Trends: A Primer

Abstract

This paper describes key large-scale posture developments in the U.S. defense program after World War II, and also provides a brief overview of key budgetary determinants of these forces. The purpose of this document is to inform discussion on current posture choices, now that the budgetary picture we are likely to confront in the 1990s has become quite soft. It will be seen that historical posture developments are consistent over time, albeit with certain important exceptions--hence, the advantages of this historical perspective. Keywords: Military budgets/history; Military forces United States.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1989
Accession Number
ADA228235

Entities

People

  • Kevin N. Lewis

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Defense
  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Airframes
  • Cargo Ships
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Deployment
  • Marine Transportation
  • Military Budgets
  • Military Force Levels
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Navy
  • Tanker Aircraft
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies